An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 55

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 55
USA > California > San Diego County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 55
USA > California > Orange County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 55
USA > California > San Bernardino County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 55

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Colonel Helphingstine was married in Fre- donia, Kansas, in February, 1872, to Miss L. E. Lowe, daughter of Rev. Boyd Lowe. She wsa

born in Mendota, Illinois, July 13, 1853, of English ancestry. By this marriage there has been one son, Edgar Boyd, who was born in In- dependence, Kansas, October 24, 1875. At their beautiful residence at Florence Heights, Colonel and Mrs. Helphingstine have an ideal home, and San Diego has no citizen more devoted to her interests than the Colonel.

ANS P. WHITNEY, of San Diego, is a native of Spartansburg, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. He was born May 5, 1832, His father, Joshna Whitney, and his mother, Melissa (Patten) Whitney, were natives of Maine. His ancestors were of Welsh descent. His parents had four children: Olivia, born November, 1827, was married to Mr. H. S. Snapp and resides in Pennsylvania; Alonzo F., born August 29, 1834. The subject of this sketch was the third of the family and was educated in the common schools of Pennsylva- nia at an early day, near the present oil region, and has pulled porcupine quills out of his bare feet many a time on his way to school. His father died when he was fifteen years of age, and he had to take the care and responsibility of the family, which prohibited much schooling. He left them in April, 1854, and landed in San Francisco May 19, 1854. He kept hotel and worked at other things but made his first start cutting and hauling logs at Puget Sonnd. He mined some but didn't make much out of it. When he arrived at San Francisco he weighed only ninety pounds. but while at Puget Sound he got strong. When his brother died in the East of quick consumption, a consultation of five phy- sicians privately expressed the opinion that not one of the children was likely to live until twenty-one years of age. In 1869 he made a visit to Pennsylvania, then returned to Coos County, Oregon, and engaged in the butchery business, which he followed for seventeen years, but being badly injured by a fall fromn a car- riage, and not expecting to be able to work

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

again, he sold out and moved to Los Angeles, California, and from there in 1885 to San Diego, where he purchased eighty acres. He has in- vested $40,000 in San Diego, and his invest- ments have been unusually successful. He has built himself a fine house on the corner of Thirty-first street and National avenue. and enjoys it. He was married June 29, 1886, to Miss Louise Carl, a daughter of John Carl, a native of Greenwich, Ohio. She was born Sep- tember 28, 1859. They have one child, a bean- tiful and interesting little girl, Alice Ruth, who was born in San Diego, April 4, 1887. Mr. H. P. Whitney has been treasurer of the Ma sonic Lodge at Empire City, Coos County, Oregon, also an honorable member of the coun- cil of the city of San Diego.

OSEPII V. COLLINS is a native of Cort- land, New York, born May 9, 1829. His father, Jabez Collins, was born in Connecticut in 1806. He was a farmer. His grandfather was a native of Connecticut and was a Presbyterian minister. Mr. Collins' mother, Adeline (Doud) Collins, daughter of Truman Dond, was born in Cortland, New York, in 1810. Her ancestors settled in Connecticut in 1737. Mr. Collins was the second in a family of five children. He spent his childhood and young days in Cort- land. New York, where he finished his educa- tion and learned the painters' trade. He went to Rhode Island and remained there two years and then returned to Cortland and carried on painting, brick-making and building. He con- tinned there until 1855 and then went to Penu- sylvania, where he engaged in the lumber busi- ness with his brother, T. D. Collins, and they have continued that business ever since. Their lumber output amounts to 10,000,000 feet an- nually. They own in the vicinity of 30,000 acres of land in Pennsylvania. Mr. Collins has also been in the oil business in Pennsylvania. He was a pioneer in that business, as he com menced putting down wells when there were

only three producing wells in the State. He was also an oil refiner. In 1865 he sold out, but afterward started the petroleum business again and has been interested in it ever since. In 1873 he built the Collins House at Oil City, Pennsylvania, which was one of the largest hotels in the city, covering an acre of ground. It had a capacity for 150 guests, was furnished with all modern conveniences, and under Mr. Collins' management was crowded with guests. It cost, furnished, $140,000. In 1887 he sold it and came to California. He had been here eight months before and had inade investments. He is now engaged in the completion of the Bay View Hotel, situated in San Diego, corner of Twelfth and I streets. It is built of brick, three stories high, and has a frontage on Twelfth and I streets of 300 feet. Each story has a bal- cony on each street. It has two fine observa- tories from which you get a grand view of the bay and ocean and the distant mountains. The office of the hotel is partially under a large sky- light and from every floor in the upper stories of the house you can see the office and speak with the clerk. The rooms are large and airy and are fitted with most modern improvements for the health and comfort of the guests. This honse will be opened by Mr. Collins about December 1, 1889, and will be second to no house of its size in the State.

Mr. Collins was married in 1850 to Miss Mary C. Medes, daughter of Mr. Ira Medes, born in Courtland, New York, in 1833. They had four children, two of whom survive: Ed- ward, born in Cortland, New York, in 1852, and Ohio Theresa, born in Cortland, New York, in 1854. She is now the wife of Mr. William F. Clark and resides in Cortland, New York. Mrs. Colline died in 1857, and Mr. Collins was afterward married to Miss Happy M. Medes, a sister of his former wife, and the result of this union has been thirteen children, nine of whom are still living. They were all born in Peun- sylvania, and their names are as follows: Car- rie M., Mary C., Ann Leverne, Gustin, Maud, Joseph E., Jr., Jabez, Truman and Earl. Mr.

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

Collins has been a hard worker, working nearly eighteen hours per day for a great part of his life and has given very little attention to either politics or office. He is still, to all ap- pearances, a hale man and is trying to take life easy.

BARRY L. TITUS, an attorney at San Diego, was born in Vevay, Switzerland Connty, Indiana, December 3, 1858. He studied law under the preceptorship of Hon. John B. Works, in that town. He removed to San Diego in April, 1883, and entered upon the practice of his profession as a partner of Judge Works. He has been appointed city attorney of San Diego twice by the city council, and elected once to the same office by the people. Since his term in that office expired he has built up a good, growing practice. He married Miss Mary Horton, a niece of Hon. A. E. Horton, in May, 1887.

C. SPRIGG, JR., a leading young business man of San Diego, California, is a descend- ant of the prominent Sprigg family, of Maryland, that owned large land grants in Maryland, part of which was Northampton, in Prince George County, which Governor Sprigg's widow sold in 1865. The original patent for this property was granted to Colonel Thomas Sprigg, Jr., in 1667. " Black Oak Level," in Prince George County, Maryland, was granted to Thomas Sprigg, Jr., in 1703, and that addi- tion to Eden's Paradise Regained was surveyed for patent by Richard Sprigg, May 17, 1774. It was then Frederick County, but is now Alle- gheny. Osborn Sprigg, second, who was a half brother of Governor Samnel Sprigg, lived on the Potomac river, about fifteen miles below Cumberland, in Hampshire County, Virginia. He married Sarah, youngest daughter of Cap- tain Michael Cresap, of Revolutionary fame,

who led his famous company of 100 riflemen on foot from western Maryland to the siege of Bos- ton in 1775. Osborn Sprigg's death occurred in 1813. He left fonr sons; one of these sons, Michael Cresap Sprigg, was born in 1799, and married Mary, daughter of Colonel William Lamar. Michael Cresap Sprigg was a member of Congress from the Sixth Maryland District; was president of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company, and served many sessions in the Maryland Legislature. He died in 1845, leav- ing three sons. One of these sons, James Cresap Sprigg, was born in Allegheny County, in 1827, and was chief engineer and manager of the Petersburg Railroad. His whole life was spent in building railroads through the South. It was his energy that built the road through Dismal Swamp. He married Miss Lucy B. Addison, of Georgetown, District of Columbia, and has six surviving children. The second of these children, James Cresap Sprigg, Jr., is the subject of this biography. He was born in Petersburg, Virginia, March 16, 1868, land was educated at the University at Peters- burg; then in the Glenwood Institute, of Mary- land, and finished in the University of West Virginia. The last year he was junior member of the faculty and was an observer of the Signal Corps of the army at the university, having charge of that station, and he studied law there and graduated. His health failing, he went to Washington, where he remained for one year; but, his health not improving, his physician ad- vised him to come to California, and in 1884 he accordingly arrived in San Diego. For the first two years here he was an officer of the Sig- nal Corps, and then he organized the firm of Woolwine, Sprigg & Co., engaging in the real- estate and general brokerage business; he is now carrying on the business himself as successor to the firm. He is a capitalist and stockholder in the First National Bank.

He was nuited in marriage with Miss Ger- trnde Whitney, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Whitney, formerly of Toledo, Ohio, now residing in San Diego. She was born April 16, 1867.

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Mr. Sprigg is a member of the Episcopal Church and also of the I. O. O. F. Governor Sprigg, of Virginia, was his grand-nncle. Their ances- try were of the nobility in England, the first emigration to America settling in Maryland.

ANIEL BROWN KURTZ, an attorney of San Diego, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1819, a son of John and Barbara Kurtz. In June, 1850, he moved to San Diego, coming around by way of Cape Horn, and immediately began the study of law under J. R. Mitchell, and was admitted to practice in 1852. He was elected Mayor of Old Town in 1851, succeeding General Beamn. In 1852, however, the city charter was repealed, and the city no longer had a mayor. Mr. Kurtz was elected to the State Senate in the fall of 1852, and served two years in that body. In 1855 he was elected County Judge, and a year later resigned. In 1861 he was again elected to the State Legislature, this time to the Assembly, and in 1865 was re-elected. Since 1866 he has lived quietly at his home in San Luis Rey, San Diego County, not seek- ing public office, but living with his family in quiet retirement.

W. NANCE .- In the very front rank of the pioneers and business men of Perris stands the name of J. W. Nance. He was born in Charles County, Tennessee, May 26, 1852. His father, J. W. Nance, Sr., was aleo a native of Tennessee, but the ancestors were Virginians. He was a Southern gentle- man but not in the Southern army, although his sympathies were with his own people. He took the oath of amnesty to the United States and was therefore neutral. When the war began he was worth $200,000. His fine mills were burned and his property destroyed, and at the close of the war he had nothing but his

land-320 acres, and assigned with other par- ties for $40,000. He told his creditors that he didn't like bankruptcy, and if they would give him ten years he would pay the entire debt and interest. The arrangement was made, and Mr. Nance, his father and three brothers en- gaged in the mannfacture of cotton gins, for which there was a large demand. In nine years the debt was paid in full. Mr. Nance saw his father make the last payment in full, and he says he never saw a happier mnan than his father was when that burden was lifted. Mr. Nance's mother, Mary (Hunt) Nance, was born in Murray County, Tennessee, a daughter of Dr. J. J. Hunt. They had a family of four children, of whom our subject was the third child. He received his education in Nashville, Tennessee. When he came to manhood his business was that of a cotton planter and dealer in general merchandise. After living six years in the Mississippi valley he lost his health on account of malaria, and he went to the monn- tains of his native state for relief; but, finding no relief, he came to San Diego, California, in June, 1882, and stopped for three months with- out any improvement. He then removed to Los Angeles and there found himself much worsc. He then traveled all over California, seeking a place that would benefit his lungs, and, receiving no benefit, he went to Dr. Worth- ington of Los Angeles, who informed him that he was beyond the reach of medicine and that he needed a very dry climate and high altitude. Acting on this advice he went to Riverside, and in talking with a merchant there, Mr. J. R. Newberry, he was told that the place he was looking for was the San Jacinto plains, but he didn't think he could live there, for nothing but a jack-rabbit conld. He came and saw the fair valley and liked it so well that he bought 200 acres, paying one dollar and giving a mortgage back for $1,999, and went to farming. He sowed the ranch to barley and harvested two and one fourth tons of hay to the acre and sold it for twenty-two dollars and fifty cents per ton, making $4,000 from his first crop! He paid for

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the place and bought more land; with his snr- plus money he bought more land each year. In 1878 he sold 700 acres and has 1,120 left. He bought the Perris Hotel before it was finished, doubled its size and furnished it, and is now its owner and landlord. He is in partnership with Mr. Knight in the warehouse and the steam barley rolling mill. They are engaged in buy- ing and shipping grain, and are the largest ship- pers in San Diego County. They also deal in lumber and real estate. Mr. Nance was mar- ried in 1874, to Miss Laura C. Rogers, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, born February 15, 1855. She is a daughter of Mr. John B. Rogers, who was a Tennesseean and of a family of Virginians. They have one lovely little daughter, Evelyn, born in Giles County, Ten- nessee, January 21, 1882. Mr. Nance is a charter member of the Independent Order of Foresters and is one of its officers. He has been Deputy County Clerk for two years, and is a man of very bright business talent. He has regained his health and is an enthusiast on the subject of California. He has been forward in every enterprise for the upbuilding of Perris; he has helped most liberally with his time and money in building the fine brick school- house and both of the new church buildings. He is one of those laudably proud men, who are too proud to stoop to a mean act, and many of the best people in his community appreciate Mr. and Mrs. Nance as very liberal, public-spir- ited people.

V. STEVISON was a native of Mount Vernon, Ohio, born March 5, 1842. His father, D. D. Stevison, was born in Wheeling, Virginia, in 1798, and was grain in- spector for the board of trade of Peoria, Illi- nois. His grandfather was a Hollander, and caine from Holland before the Revolution and settled in Virginia. His mother, Charity (Hill) Stevison, was a native of New York, born in 1805. She was the danghter of Mr. Lewis

Hill. The family were New England people. His parents had eleven children, eight of whom survive. Thesubject of this sketch was the tenth child. When he was three years of age the famn- ily removed to Portsmonth, Ohio, and in 1848 removed to Peoria, Illinois. It was a small village then and has since grown to be a town of 45,000 inhabitants. Mr. Stevison remained there until he was thirty years of age. At six - teen years of age he become a clerk in a grocery store and was there two years. He then en- listed in the Union army, Company D, Seven- tieth Illinois Infantry, and while in the army saw a good deal of hard service. While follow- ing Price in Missouri, exposure and other causes brought on a severe attack of jaundice, and being unfit for service was innstered out. He returned to Peoria, Illinois, and as soon as he regained his health he was engaged in the Peoria postoffice and served there for five years. After that he clerked in a furniture store, and after that he engaged in market gardening. In 1869 he was married to Miss Hattie Ford, of Peoria, Illinois, born November 16, 1847. Her father, Mr. James Ford, was a wholesale saddle and harness dealer at Peoria. They had one child, Jessie N., born in Peoria, Illinois, July 4, 1871. Mrs. Stevison's death occurred April 14, 1882. In 1871 he removed to Colorado and engaged in market gardening for two years. He then took charge of a dairy at Colorado Springs. Then he spent a year in prospecting for gold in San Joaquin County. He then took charge of a large dairy ranch for two years, and after that took charge of the stage station and hotel at Villa Grove. He next went to Leadville, where he ran a meat market and grocery store. This was just before the great strike at Leadville; when it began, he was worth $15,000, and at its close he had lost it, but in a very short time he had paid all his bills. He then went to work in a stamp mill and while there lost one of his fingers. He then left that business and worked in a timber mill until September, 1887, when he came to Perris and located forty acres of land, and is now the man-

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

ager of 320 acres more. He is now sowing (1889) one hundred acres of wheat and 240 aeres of barley. Mr. Stevison is a member of the Patriotie Order of Sons of America, and a inember of the G. A. R., James A. Garfield Post, No. 9, Leadville, Colorado, and is an np- right man.

C. TRIPP. a cattle dealer of San Jacinto, is a son of the golden West, born in Los Angeles, March 21, 1859. His father, Mr. S. V. Tripp, was born in New York State, was raised in Ohio, and came to Califor- nia in 1850. He was a pioneer brick-mason, and spent a good deal of his time in the mines of Shasta County. Mr. Tripp's mother, Rosa (Rumsey) Tripp, was born in Pennsylvania, and raised in Ohio. She was married to Mr. Tripp in 1856, and had six children, four of whom are still living. The family moved to San Ber- nardino when the subject of this sketeh was but two years of age, and he attended school at that place until he was fifteen years of age. His mother died in San Bernardino when thirty-two years of age, and in 1871 his father and the rest of the family removed to San Jacinto. His father and Colonel Hamne took up the two first Government elaims at the head of the San Ja- einto valley, near the Florida town site. His father now lives in the Cottonwood district of San Diego, where he is Postmaster. When Mr. Tripp first started in business for himself, he had but a few head of cattle. His brother William and himself now own 400 head of cat tle and horses on their Cahuila ranel in the mountains. Mr. Tripp buys and sells, while his brother cares for the stock. They furnish the San Jacinto market withi eattle, and also one of the San Bernardino markets.

In 1884 he was married to Miss Mattie Logs- don, who was born in San Bernardino in 1865. Her father, Mr. J. M. Logsdon, was a native of Illinois. He now resides in San Jacinto, and is an owner and renter of buildings. They have

one child, Joe W., born in San Jacinto, Septem- ber 28, 1889. Mr. Tripp was elected constable five years ago, and has been all over the county. They are well spoken of by their neighbors, and have many friends.

HARLES THOMAS is one of the most noted pioneers of San Jacinto. He was born in Sherburne, Chenango County, New York, October 1, 1836. His father, John M. Clark, was a native of New York. His mother, Silvera (Beeby) Thomas, was a danghter of Major Beeby, first Sheriff of Madison County, New York. The subject's parents had six children, he being the next to the youngest. His parents both died while he was quite young, and he was raised on a farm by Mr. Daniel Newton. When fourteen years of age he came around the Horn to California, and landed in San Francisco in 1849. He went from there to San Jose in 1850, and into the Mariposa mines, where he remained six months, when he returned and lived at San Jose until 1852. He then went to Half Moon Bay, and was there at the time the ship Carrier Pigeon, from Boston, was wrecked and came ashore. Mr. Thomas took the news of that disaster to San Francisco, and Captain B. Waterman was sent out with him to take charge of the wreck. In 1853 Mr. Thomas accompanied William Walker on his filibustering expedition. They landed at La l'az and took the Governor pris- oner. They then came up to Cape St. Lucas, where they went ashore. There the mate of the vessel was bribed, and ran away from them with the prisoner, and they were left without food or ammunition. They started to make their way through to Sonora, but came back and surren- dered themselves to Captain Burton at San Diego, and he sent them home to San Fran- eisco. Mr. Thomas then went to Shasta, where he engaged in mining until 1858, when he camne to Los Angeles, and was one of the discoverers of the tin mines. In 1860 he sold ont and took

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a quantity of cattle in part payment, and took up his ranch in Hemet valley. He then secured 40,000 acres of choice pasture land, and with his family is now engaged in raising stock- full-blooded Durham cattle and blooded trotting and running horses.

He was married in 1861 to Miss Genevieve Bordie, who was born in Santa Barbara in 1840, and they had a family of twelve children, eleven of whom survive, five boys and six girls. Their eldest daughter, Mrs. A. J. Stice, is twenty- seven years of age, while the youngest is but nine years of age. His second daughter, Fanny, is now in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Thomas was with Lieutenant Wheeler when he made the geographical survey of Mount San Jacinto. He was Supervisor in 1857-'58. Mrs. Thomas and the children are members of the Catholic Church. The Estudillo ranch house was the only house here when Mr. Thomas came into the country. He made a trip of 600 miles alone, on horse- back, in California, and was in San Francisco in 1850 when it was burned, and saw the first American horse race in California. He has seen a great deal of frontier life, but is still a young-looking man.

OHN WESLEY WESCOTT .- One of the oldest carriage manufacturing establish- ments in San Diego is now conducted by Wescott & Thompson, Mr. Wescott being senior partner. He was born in Knox, Waldo County, Maine, July 16, 1838, the third of six sons, fonr of whom are now living. He learned the trade of wagon-making in his native town. In 1858 he left home for California, by the Isthmus of Panama. The steamer from Panama to San Francisco was the John L. Stephens, with a passenger list of 2,250 people, but they arrived safely, with no serious accident, October 18, 1858. He then went to Calaveras County, and later to Placer County, where he followed the lumber business about two years; then, return- ing to Calaveras County, in 1862, he opened a

carriage shop and continued it until 1869, when he sold out and came to San Diego, opening carriage and blacksmith shops in 1871, at the corner of K and Eighth streets, called " ()ld Big Shoe Shop," and continuing until 1877. Then . he sold ont and went to Arizona and conducted a carriage shop at Yuma for about two years, then returned to San Diego, and in 1880 opened business at the corner of Eighth and I streets. In 1882 he moved to the present location on Sixth street, between H and F, with an establish- ment fronting 100 feet on Sixth street and fifty feet on Seventh street. Here he carries on a general business,-carriage building, painting, repairing, horse-shoeing and all grades of iron work, with a large line of wagon supplies. Is also agent for several Eastern wagons and car- riages. IIe is a member of the Royal Arch Masons, and also a member of the Blue Lodge, No. 35; also of I. O. O. F., No. 153; Centen- nial Encampment, No. 58, and of the Canton.

Mr. Wescott was married in Calaveras County, in January, 1863, to Miss Martha Jane Gillam, a native of Arkansas, whose parents were natives of Indiana. This union has been blessed by five children, three of whom only survive: Frank A., the oldest; Minnie May, now married and living in Texas, and Maud, the youngest and pet of the houseliold.

J. BRINTON is one of San Jacinto's business men and a member of the @ G. A. R., J. A. Addison Post, No. 121. He was born in Delaware County, Pennsylva- nia, near the old battle-ground of Chall's Ford, April 12, 1844. His father, Thomas Brinton, and his mother, Jane Brinton, were both natives of Pennsylvania, her maiden name being the same as his. They were the parents of ten chil- dren, our Mr. Brinton being the youngest. He got his education at the common schools, and at a boarding school in Concord, Pennsylvania. In 1861 the country was convulsed with excite- ment over the Rebellion. At that time T. J.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1038

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038